White City, Oregon...Saturday night is one of the biggest races of the season at Southern Oregon Speedway and a very important one at that. It is the 6th Annual Roger Haudenshild Tribute Race. Thanks to the support of the Haudenshild family and Dusty's Transmissions of Central Point, there will be increased purse money in the IMCA Modified, IMCA Sport Modified and Calculated Comfort Outlaw Pro Stock divisions. But the program doesn't stop there as Late Models, Southern Oregon Dwarf Cars and JOAT Labs Hornets will also be competing.

The night is important for another reason. The race remembers a longtime Southern Oregon Stock Car and Destruction Derby competitor named Roger Haudenshild. Roger passed away in 2013, leaving the legacy behind of a great competitor, sponsor and friend to motorsports racing in the area. Roger was a big car enthusiast and had a collection of classic cars. He was also known to not only sponsor racers, but sometimes do it anonymously as his main concern was getting them to the track rather than any sort of recognition.

The night's activity will include several giveaways for the kids. There will be raffle drawings for bike giveaways, Family Fun Center passes and other goodies the kids will enjoy. There will also be Crack The Whip races, which are events that Roger was rather fond of. IMCA Modified, IMCA Sport Modified and Pro Stock racers will each compete for $200 winner take all prizes in the special races. Crack The Whip races run a lap count equal to how many starters take the green flag. Each lap, the final car in the lineup is black flagged until you have the last car on the track winning the prize.

The IMCA Modifieds will be competing for a $2,000 first prize. Coming off of his big win in the John Arnberg Memorial race in Yreka last week and his win in the season opener at Southern Oregon Speedway, seven-time champion Mark Wauge might seem to be the favorite to win this race. However, he will have his work cut out for him as an increased field of competitors is anticipated with the big money on the line. Two-time race winner Nick Trenchard will be out to add a third win to his totals. Other drivers to keep an eye on this week include Albert Gill, James Welshonse, Dave Duste Jr, Duane Orsburn and reigning champion Jesse Bailey. Word it is that past champion Jon DeBenedetti may be in the field as well, driving for Brian Bowman.

The IMCA Sport Modified division is competing for a $1,600 first prize, and there's been indication that 2016 California State champion Brian Cooper will be there along with Jimmy Ford. After winning the season opener in convincing fashion, David Marble will be going for the biggest win of his career. Reigning champion Mike Medel didn't have the kind of night he wanted last time, but he was a recent winner in Willamette and will be a driver to reckon with. Other drivers to watch for this week include Willie McFall, Tony Duste, Danny Rule, Steve Lysinger and two time race winner Jorddon Braaten.

The Haudenshild family has been strong supporters of Pro Stock racing through the years, and Jeff Haudenshild is one of the members of the Calculated Comfort Pro Stock group. Two drivers who will be vying for the $1,200 first prize are 2017 race winner and series champion Scott Lenz and 2016 race winner and series champion Steve Borror. John David Duffie was seen at the speedway making laps last week, and he has won many races here. He is hoping to stake his claim on the prize. Other drivers to watch include two time series champion Ken Irving, Scott Flowers, Brian Johnsen, James Flowers and Matt Harlow.

The Late Models have been putting on some good races so far, and rookie Miles Delbert and Nathan Augustine count themselves among the winners so far this season. After winning the Trophy Dash and finishing second last time out, John Dees is hoping to add his name to the Winner's List this week. Other drivers to look for include Bob Dees, Dave Foote, Mike Linder and Eric Massey.

The Southern Oregon Dwarf Car season is in full swing. With four point races in the books so far, there are three different winners. Camden Robustelli won the first two races in Yreka, and the most recent two races at Southern Oregon Speedway have gone to Josh King and Guy Tow. Chad Cardoza is running very strong lately with two Top 5 finishes so far. Likewise, Ryan Smith now has a pair of third place finishes at Southern Oregon Speedway. Both drivers are looking to win, and others to watch for include two time series champion Brock Peters, son Cody Peters, Fred Hay and Randy Slater.

The JOAT Labs Hornets division has been very competitive so far. Reigning champion Jason Stoutenburgh has a pair of Top 3 finishes, but he is still looking for his first win. Brandon Wonsyld seems to have Stoutenburgh's number so far as he has finished ahead of him with a win and a second and is the point leader by a slim margin. Recent winner Ashtin Hedges will be looking for his second straight win, but mother Jenna Hedges and father Tim Hedges may have something to say about that. Other drivers to look for this week include Dylan Irving, Derrel Nelson Jr, Zach Nelson and Bree Tritchler.

Southern Oregon Speedway is anticipating a huge turnout of cars for the Sixth Annual Roger Haudenshield Tribute Race. Gates open at 5 p.m. with the first race at 7 p.m. General Admission is $15 with Seniors, Veterans and Juniors 6 to 12 $10. Children 5 and under are free. For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com.

Pit Stops

The Open Wheel Showcase at Southern Oregon Speedway is a special event. It's a night for the open-wheel divisions to truly shine. The speedway has a growing Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Car class that is encouraging for a lot of reasons. However, one thing people don't get to see very often is the Northwest Focus Midgets.

When USAC started doing the Focus Midget class years back, a group began in Washington. When USAC started making changes with the rules, the racers decided they needed to go in a different direction to preserve what they had. Since then, it has become nothing short of one of the best promoted and run Open Wheel organizations that you'll find anywhere on the West Coast.

With Carla and Galen Stewart at the helm of the ship, the Focus Midgets have a bright future indeed. One of the things that's nice about the group is that when they visit a race track, they let you know right down to the last race car who is coming. They had a roster during the week of 30 cars, and 30 cars showed up to Southern Oregon Speedway on Saturday night. That's also impressive when you consider that these drivers are towing from Washington or in a few cases Canada.

It was also a night for the group to show the Medford area fans what they are all about. They were running their Salute To Indy. The Stewart's had put all the touches on this race, including a nice trophy for the winner and the jug of milk, which is customary at the Indianapolis 500. The winner gets to drink the milk.

This race is special for another reason. The Focus Midgets have regular championship seasons at Grays Harbor, Skagit and Deming, which are all race tracks in Washington. They also run a six race track, ten race series that encompasses all three West Coast states. In addition to the three Washington tracks, they make visits to Southern Oregon Speedway, Sunset Speedway and the season-ender at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, California.

This was the third scheduled event of the season. The previous winner was Tristin Thomas in both this season opener and the last visit to Southern Oregon Speedway. Thomas is also the reigning Series champion, an honor that he's held once before. He came into the night as the driver to beat and had his turn at the lead for several early laps before surrendering to Jonathan Jorgenson.

When the group came out last season, they rattled off most of their race without a yellow flag. After a roll over on the attempted first lap and another yellow flag after that, they ran 25 laps without a yellow flag. Unfortunately for 2016 champion Nick Evans, he was eliminated in the tangle that saw Shane Biles roll in Turns 1 and 2. A poor heat race finish forced Evans to win the B Main to get his feature start. When the race got going, the racing was fast and intense throughout the pack. The leaders were setting such a rapid pace that traffic became a regular part of their battle during the second half of the race.

For Jorgenson, that was no problem. After earlier winning the B Dash, he was making all the right moves at the front of the pack. He was the one who got to enjoy the milk of victory and all the other rewards in the event, which was sponsored by All About Metals and Winningham Racing. Thomas managed to finish second ahead of another Thomas, Garrett Thomas, who settled for third. Eric Turner and Evan Margeson completed the Top 5, and half of the field managed to finish on the lead lap.

Eric Turner and Ryan Cully were very busy. The two drivers also brought their Sportsman Sprints to the speedway. The Sportsman Sprint division is similar to the class that Southern Oregon Speedway runs, and it was a good opportunity to see how competitive the two divisions were with each other. While Turner ran strong all night and finished a respectable third in the Main Event, Cully was a lead lap sixth. He finished a bit further back in the Focus Midget Main Event, scored in 13th.

Further up in the pack in sixth was Hannah Lindquist. Hannah has done a great job of driving these cars in her short time in the division. She finished in the Top 10 in the standings last season, and if she keeps driving the way she did on Saturday night, that will be the case again this season.

One of the drivers in the pack for this event was rising young star Ariel Biggs. We last saw Ariel in the Cascade Wingless Sprint Car Challenge race, presented by Herz Precision Parts, in August of last year. She revealed that she plans to return for that race again this year. Ariel was down at Kern Raceway a week earlier picking up the win in the USAC Speed2 Midget Main Event.

The Focus Midgets don't have an opportunity to rest as they will be running a double-header this weekend up in Washington. However, they left the fans at Southern Oregon Speedway talking about what a great show they put on and looking forward to next season.

The Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Car division seemed to be an opportunity for the Hibbard family to showcase their abilities. It started in the preliminaries in an unlikely way. Family patriarch Calvin Hibbard only started racing a Sprint Car last season at the age of 61. It was a chance for him to help the car count and get to race with his son and his grandson. On Saturday, the three shared a heat race together.

What perhaps nobody was expecting was Calvin would bolt ahead at the start of the race with son David In second. Grandson Bailey quickly settled into third. A Hibbard was going to win this race, but people might not have expected it to be Calvin. It was his first win ever in a Sprint Car.

Grandson Bailey took over by winning the Scramble to put himself on the pole. It gave him the advantage as he raced into the lead early on. However, his father David was in pursuit after making a move into second a lap later. Bailey made all the right moves and was rewarded with his fifth career win at Southern Oregon Speedway. It's an amazing thing watching this young man go from almost wanting to give up two years ago to becoming one of the stars of Sprint Car racing at Southern Oregon Speedway.

With his first and second place finishes so far, David Hibbard has taken the lead in the point standings. However, there is a close battle happening behind him. If he slips up even a little bit, his son Bailey might get him. But Bailey is not the only driver with a shot.

After opening the season with a fourth place finish, 2015 Pro Stock champion Jeffrey Hudson battled Marissa Henson to finish fourth again last week. Jeffrey has established himself as a contender for the championship, but what he's hoping for now is his first Sprint Car feature win since the 2016 season finale. Henson, meanwhile, was running smooth all night and finished third in her heat race and the Scramble. She looked good in her fifth place finish and is steadily gaining on her first career feature win.

Aaron Miller last competed at Southern Oregon Speedway in 2016, when he scored an emotional first career future win. Everything didn't go as smoothly as hoped, and he lost a couple of laps in the pits before a yellow flag gave him the opportunity to rejoin the field and take the checkered flag in ninth behind Todd Whipple. Todd was unable to start the season opener due to mechanical issues, and he worked out a few more bugs in his race car this time.

The driver leading the rookies so far this year is Blaine Cory. Cory had a Top 5 finish to open his season, and he did well in fishing 7th in the latest feature. The news wasn't as good for Enrique Jaime. After winning his second straight heat race, his Main Event ended early with mechanical issues. All in all, it was a solid showing for the Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Cars, and they return to the speedway on June 16th for their third event.

The Southern Oregon Dwarf Cars returned for their second straight week. The division has landed dates at many of the key events at Southern Oregon Speedway this year, and they brought a 21 car filled this time around. It's an encouraging sign for the division as they have gained a few newcomers, including Michael Johnson, Andrew Hall, Ashleigh Strain and Dan Halbert. It could be that the division will need a B Main due to the increased car count at some point this season.

One of the drivers in the pack came from up North. It was Guy Tow, who bypassed a race closer to home to come compete since his father was racing in a Focus Midget. Guy had a front row start for the Main Event and wasted no time getting into the lead. Once he got it, nobody was going to take it away from him. Tow brought it home to an impressive victory.

There was a good battle going on to fill up the Top 5, and Mason Lewman ran a determined race to secure second at the checkered flag. You may recall Lewman picking up his first win at the end of last season. If he keeps running this way, you'll probably see him in the Winner's Circle soon. Likewise, Ryan Smith has run strong so far with a pair of thirds at Southern Oregon Speedway. We have yet to see a point list for the group, but it wouldn't be surprising to see him ranking high.

Josh King still didn't have his car ready to go and was in the Jerry Hauck car once again. He picked up a heat race win and managed to hustle his way to fifth behind Chad Cardoza at the checkered flag. With the competition level rising in the Southern Oregon Dwarf Cars, even getting a Top 5 finish is quite an accomplishment.

Two drivers on the outside looking in at the Top 5 were two-time reigning champion Brock Peters in sixth and Camden Robustelli in seventh. Camden was unable to bring his Sprint Car to the track due to some motor problems he found prior to the night. In Dwarf Car competition he already has a pair of victories in Yreka. For Peters, being shut out of the Top 5 is not something he's likely to just accept. He did win the A Dash earlier in the evening, but he'll go back to the drawing board and see if he can get a feature win.

The Old Time Racers of Oregon Hardtops were back in action, and Southern Oregon Speedway was happy to have them. There's been a change in the group. We were saddened to hear that during the offseason the club president, Vic Bridges, had passed away. Vic was instrumental in negotiating their race dates at Southern Oregon Speedway in 2016 and 2017. The group has enjoyed racing at the track, and Mark Mintor went about negotiating the return for six dates this year.

A conversation with Dusty Trotter prior to the event revealed that the group thinks that they could have as many as 11 or 12 cars at some point this year. Dusty has another car this year as his old car is now being driven by 2017 Coos Bay Speedway Street Stock champion Justin Krossman. However, Trotter seems to be even faster in his new car.

They had three different drivers take turns winning the races as Krossman picked up the heat victory and Jay Smith drove Bill Trotter's pickup truck to the trophy Dash victory. It's an interesting thing to note that the very first time the group was at Southern Oregon Speedway two years ago, Chris Mehrer drove that truck to a Trophy Dash win and then drove that truck into the wall coming out of Turn 4 in the heat race. Mehrer is back this year in the green #17 Sedan.

Krossman looked like he was going to win the Main Event as he led 14 laps before doing a solo spin in Turn 3. It was at that point when Trotter took the lead and Smith settled into second. Smith couldn't quite make the move, but it was the fastest that truck has ever looked. As Cottage Grove season opener winner Jamie Britton was having difficulties with the handling of his new car, it was Mark Minter who drove the Minter family Coupe to the third place finish over Briton and Bill Trotter. The Minter car was originally built by Mark's grandfather, Harold Minter, and driven by all of the Minter men before him. Mark's grandmother, Rene Minter, was at the track cheering him on once again.

Mark has also gotten his hands on another Hardtop that will be seeing action at some point this year. A few cars have moved around to different owners, but the OTRO Hardtop group is determined to build up their presence and grow their ranks. Southern Oregon Speedway will have the pleasure of another Hardtop visit on June 16th, and Dean Cast, Jimmy DelCastille and 2016 Roseburg champion Greg Hickman are three other drivers who could show up for that race\

White City, Oregon...May 26...Bailey Hibbard oudueled his father David Hibbard to win the 25 lap Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Car Main Event Saturday night Southern Oregon Speedway. It was young Bailey's fifth career win at Southern Oregon Speedway and came aboard his Dave's Carpet And Vinyl Liquidators sponsored Sprinter. David Hibbard settled for a second place finish ahead of Washington visitor Eric Turner. The Sprint Cars were part of the big 2nd Annual Open Wheel Showcase Event.

In heat race action, 62 year old Calvin Hibbard surprised his son and his grandson by winning his first ever eight lap race. It was an all Hibbard affair at the front as son David finished second and grandson Bailey finished third. Enrique Jaime won his second straight heat race ahead of Turner. Bailey Hibbard made sure to have the pole position for the Main Event as he held off Turner and Merissa Henson to win the six lap Scramble.

Bailey Hibbard set the pace from the start of the Main Event with Turner running second. Aaron Miller spun in Turn 3 for a lap one caution flag. Bailey Hibbard continued to lead Turner and David Hibbard on restart, but David Hibbard made a back stretch pass on Turner to gain second on lap two. A yellow flag flew on lap four for Todd Whipple in Turn 3. Bailey Hibbard continued to lead David Hibbard and Turner on the restart. As the race ran a few laps under green, David Hibbard begin to pressure Bailey for the lead, while Merissa Henson was giving Turner all the pressure he could handle in the battle for third. Miller spun in Turn 3 for a lap 15 caution flag and made a pit stop. He was able to rejoin the field two laps later after a caution flag flew for debris on the track. The slowdowns didn't stop Bailey Hibbard. He bolted ahead again when the race restarted and led the final four laps to score a well earned victory. David Hibbard settled for second ahead of Turner. Jeffrey Hudson made a late charge past Henson for fourth as Henson settled for fifth, followed by Ryan Cully, Blaine Cory, Whipple, Miller and Jaime.

The Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Cars return on June 16th as part of a packed lineup that includes IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Mini Stocks, Valley Stor-All Late Model Lites and OTRO Hardtops. For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com.

White City, Oregon...May 26...With his father making the trip south to race with the Northwest Focus Midgets, Guy Tow decided To bring his Dwarf Car to the track as well. Tow was rewarded as he drove a brilliant race to score the victory in the 20 lap Main Event. The Dwarf Cars were part of the event that was billed as the Open Wheel Showcase.

The Dwarf Cars had an even bigger turnout than last time with 21 competitors signed in to race, but Josh King still had problems with his car and once again jumped into the Jerry Hauck machine. He drove that car to a win in the second heat race, followed by ageless veteran Fred Hay. Camden Robustelli won the first heat ahead of Cody Peters, and Mason Lewman outran Brock Peters to win the third heat. Brock Peters came back to outrun Robustelli in the six lap A Dash, and Ryan Smith was the B Dash winner, followed by Tow.

Tow set the early Main Event pace ahead of Hay, but Lewman and Chad Cardoza shuffled Hay out of the Top 3 a lap later. The flying Tow was working lapped traffic by lap six as Brock Peters moved up to challenge Cardoza for third. Tow saw his straightaway lead over Lewman wiped out by a lap 13 caution flag for a Joe Sanders spin. There were two yellow flags to follow during the next two laps before the lap 15 restart saw Ryan Smith settle into third behind Tow and Lewman. Cardoza was still holding fourth at that point as King worked his way into fifth. Tow set a good pace and brought it home to a satisfying victory ahead of Lewman, Smith, Cardoza, King, Brock Peters, Robustelli, Hay, Randy Slater and Sanders.

Southern Oregon Dwarf Cars are a part of this Saturday's big 6th Annual Roger Haudensheld Tribute Race. Also on the card are the IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Calculated Comfort Outlaw Pro Stocks, Late Models and JOAT Labs Hornets. For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com.

White City, Oregon...May 26...The Northwest Focus Midgets returned to Southern Oregon Speedway for their lone appearance of the season and brought a big 30 car Field. The Open Wheel Showcase event was not only their Salute To Indy race, sponsored by All About Metal and Winningham Racing, it was also part of the big Summer Series for the Northwest Focus Midgets that takes them to six different tracks for 10 events. When the checkered flag flew on the rapidly paced 25 lap Main Event, it was Jonathan Jorgenson scoring an impressive victory ahead of defending race champion and series champion Tristin Thomas.

The field was divided into four eight lap heat races, and it was Garrett Thomas winning the first heat ahead of Alden Ostrom. The second eight lap race went to Evan Margeson followed by Hannah Lindquist. Chris Green won the third heat ahead Tristin Thomas. Thomas had won the opener for the Summer Series at Grays Harbor. Eric Turner won the final heat ahead of Ross Rankine. The group ran two dash races. It was Matt Loving winning the four lap A Dash and Jorgenson collecting the victory in the four lap B Dash. With such a huge field of competitors, the final four spots of the Main Event would be filled by the Top 4 finishers of the 15 lap B Main. It was 2016 Series champion Nick Evans winning that race, followed by Jeremiah Franklin, Guy Tow Sr and Glenn Bittrolf.

After standing introductions where the racers got out of their cars for the fans to see them, the battle was on to see who would make it to Victory Circle and the opportunity to drink the jug of milk, as is tradition after the Indianapolis 500. The race had a rough start as Franklin, Evans, Jesse Conway and Shane Biles got together in Turns 1 and 2 with Biles rolling. Biles and Evans were eliminated in the melee. After another yellow flag botched the next restart, Tristin Thomas bolted ahead on the next restart, followed by Eric Turner and Matt Loving. Jorgenson slipped past Loving for third on lap 2 and took second from Turner a lap later. Jorgenson began to pressure Thomas for the lead and put the moves on him to grab first on lap nine. As Jorgenson began to build up the momentum, Garrett Thomas moved into third and set his sights on Tristin Thomas. Jorgenson was already in lapped traffic by lap 10, but even the slower cars could not slow his pace. He made all the right moves In a race that was destined to go caution free for the remaining laps. Jorgenson took the checkered flag by a wide margin. Tristin Thomas settled for second ahead of Garrett Thomas, Turner, Evan Margeson, Hannah Lindquist, Chris Greene, Nik Larson, Chris Bullock and Shane Smith.

The Focus Midgets will have a two race weekend at Deming Speedway on June 1st and Skagit Speedway a night later, but the next Summer Series race will be at Grays Harbor Raceway on June 9th. You can find more information at www.northwestfocusmidgets.com or like their very informative Northwest Focus Midget Series Facebook page.

White City, Oregon...May 26...Dusty Trotter scored the victory in the 20 lap OTRO Hardtop Main Event Saturday night at Southern Oregon Speedway. The Hardtops were a part of the special Open Wheel Showcase Event, and this was Trotter's second start in his new car. He gained the lead when leader Justin Krossman spun on lap 15 and led the remaining laps for the victory. Krossman is driving the car that Trotter has campaigned for the past two seasons.

Krossman started the night by winning the eight lap heat race ahead of Mark Minter. It was Jay Smith driving Bill Trotter's truck to the four lap Trophy Dash win ahead of Bill Trotter. Krossman charged into the lead at the start of the Main Event ahead of Dusty Trotter and recent Cottage Grove winner Jamie Britton. Britton slipped past Trotter for second on lap three and was trailing Krossman by a straightaway at that point. A Britton spin in Turn 4 of the sixth lap gained Dusty Trotter the second position, and he set his sights on Krossman. Britton spun again and lost third to Smith on lap 12, and Crossman did a solo spin in Turn 3 for a lap 15 yellow flag. Suddenly, Dusty Trotter found himself leading. Dusty Trotter led Jay Smith and Minter on restart. Smith gave Trotter a good run down the stretch, but Trotter held him off for the victory. Minter settled for third ahead of Britton, Bill Trotter, Chris Mehrer and Krossman.

The Hardtops return on June 16th as part of a packed program that will include the Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Cars, IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Mini Stocks and Valley Store-All Late Model Litee\s. For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com.

Sunday, May 27, 2018

White City, Oregon...May
26...Jonathan Jorgenson won the 25 lap Northwest Focus Midget Main Event
Saturday night at Southern Oregon Speedway. Jorgenson took the lead
from defending series champion Tristin Thomas on lap six and was never
seriously threatened after that. The race had two early caution flags
before going non stop for the final 24 laps. Following Jorgensen and T.
Thomas in the Top 5 were Garrett Thomas, Eric Turner and Evan Margeson

Bailey Hibbard scored the
victory in the 25 lap Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Car Main Event. Bailey
led all the way, at times closely challenged by his father David Hibbard
as they worked traffic. However, the son beat the father for a well
earned victory. Eric Turner finished third ahead of 12th starter Jeffrey
Hudson and Merissa Henson. 61 year old Calvin Hibbard was noteworthy in
beating son David and grandson Bailey for his first heat race win.

Guy Tow won the 20 lap SODCA
Dwarf Car Main Event. Tow led all the way and was never seriously
challenged. Mason Lewman won a three car battle for second ahead of Ryan
Smith and Chad Cardoza. Previous winner Josh King finished fifth.

Dusty Trotter won his first 20
lap OTRO Hardtop Main Event. Trotter moved into second on lap six and
gained the lead when leader Justin Krossman spun in Turn 4 on lap 15.
Jay Smith closed in on the last lap for a second place finish ahead of
Mark Minter, Jamie Britton and Bill Trotter.

Racing resumes next Saturday
night with the 6th Annual Roger Haudenshild Tribute Race. Increased
purse money will be offered for the IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds
and Calculated Comfort Outlaw Pro Stocks. Also on the card will be the
Late Models, Southern Oregon Dwarf Cars and JOAT Labs Hornets. Plus,
crack-the-whip races and Bike and Family Fun Center gift card giveaways
for the kids. For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com.

Thursday, May 24, 2018

Whoops - It's Chris Sine one of the organizers of the Iron Giant Series (Sorry Chris)

Focus Midgets, Sprint Cars Headline

Open Wheel Showcase Saturday Night

White City, Oregon...Southern Oregon Speedway has an exciting night of open-wheel racing on tap for this Saturday night. It is the Open Wheel Showcase, and the Northwest Focus Midgets will be coming down from Washington with a strong field of competitors. Also on the card will be the Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Cars, Southern Oregon Dwarf Cars and OTRO Hardtops.

The biggest and most competitive field of Focus Midgets on the West Coast can be found competing in the Pacific Northwest. On any given weekend, you'll usually find the drivers racing at Grays Harbor, Deming or Skagit Speedways in Washington. They have also put together the Summer Series, which takes the group to six different tracks for a 10 race schedule. In addition to the three aforementioned venues, the Summer Series also visits Sunset Speedway, Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, California and Southern Oregon Speedway.

Southern Oregon Speedway was voted the most popular track of the NW Focus Midget drivers last season. They brought 22 cars to the show and ran a race that didn't have a yellow flag until late. The racing was intense at the front of the pack as the leaders battled through slower traffic. It was 2017 Series champion Tristan Thomas picking up the win ahead of Michael Vollbrecht and Chance Crum. Crum ended up second in the standings last year ahead of 2016 champion Nick Evans.

The Focus Midgets are running a Salute To Indy this weekend, complete with a three-wide salute to the fans and a jug of milk to the winner, as is Indy tradition. All about Metal of Medford and Winningham Racing has come on board to sponsor the Big Show. Series officials report that 30 competitors are committed to coming to the speedway, and this includes such noteworthy competitors as Grays Harbor Speedway champion Garrett Thomas, Top 5 ranked Ryan Cully Jonathan Jorgenson, recent Grays Harbor winner Evan Margeson, Nik Larson, Guy Tow, Hannah Lindquist, Glenn Bittrolf and recent Kern Raceway winner Ariel Biggs.

As if watching 30 of these fast Wingless Midget race cars flying around the Jim Rodgers prepared 3/10 mile clay oval isn't enough, the track's Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Car Series will be competing as well. In fact, Ryan Cully and Eric Turner are bringing cars for this division as well as their Focus Midgets.

The last time out, David Hibbard scored an impressive Main Event victory, leaving the battle for second. Hibbard was spotted recently in Cottage Grove picking up another second place finish. He comes into the event as the driver to beat. Enrique Jaime enjoyed his best finish to date last time as the second-year competitor finished third, followed by Jeffrey Hudson.

With some support from Hays Oil and Dave's Carpet & Vinyl, track management has made its strongest commitment ever to building up a Sprint Car class. The roster boasts some talented young drivers with a half dozen of them still in their teens, including Hudson, Jaime, last year's top rookie Merissa Henson, Tanner Holmes, Bailey Hibbard and Theron Smith. All but Holmes are anticipated this week along with Camden Robustelli, Blaine Cory, Aaron Miller and the season debut of reigning track champion Kyler Barraza.

With roughly 50 cars anticipated between the top two classes, having the Southern Oregon Dwarf Car Association on the roster is icing on the cake. Last week, two-time series champion Josh King drove the Jerry Hauck car to what would be a $1,000 victory thanks to the sponsorship of Jim Nelson. To get the win, he had to battle fiercely with 2017 point runner-up Chad Cardoza, who settled for second. These two may be at the head of the pack, but they can anticipate some stiff competition from two-time reigning champion Brock Peters, Cody Peters, Randy Slater, Camden Robustelli and Kalvin Morton, among others.

The Old Time Racers of Oregon will be bringing their V6 powered Coupe and Sedan Hardtops to the speedway. These cars are a flashback to what was the main show at venues throughout the United States in the 1950s and 1960s. Recently, Jamie Britton picked up a win at Cottage Grove Speedway ahead of Mark Minter. Minter won the race on Open Wheel Showcase night last season. The Minter family is part of the foundation that formed the group in the 1980s. Other drivers to watch for this week include Bill Trotter, Dusty Trotter, Jeff Krossman and Jimmy Del Castille.

The Open Wheel showcase is sure to be an event that you won't want to miss as a roster into the seventies is anticipated between the four scheduled classes. Gates open at 5 p.m. with the first race at 7 p.m. General Admission is $15 with Seniors, Veterans and Juniors (6 to 12) $10. Children 5 and under are free. For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com.

Southern Oregon Speedway fans found out that Street Stock racing is still alive and well in Oregon last Saturday night. The Iron Giant Street Stock Series kicked off the first of an eight race tour of eight different tracks with their stop at the White City race track. They brought a field of 21 race cars for the show.

The Street Stock Series was the brainchild of James Whitehouse and past Cottage Grove Speedway champion Chris Sine. Both drivers still don't have their cars ready yet, so they were working behind the scenes to make sure things went smoothly for opening day. The idea of pitting the best Street Stock drivers against each other at eight different race tracks was a good one. The fact that they will be ending their point season on Labor Day Weekend with the big Iron Giant Race at Willamette is icing on the cake.

Last season, Donald Schott picked up the win at Southern Oregon Speedway. He was back to defend his race win, but the competition was twice as fierce this time around. In addition to two of last season's Top 5 point competitors, Erik Jarnport and Jessie Yankee, the field was bolstered by such top-caliber competitors as past Willamette champion David Cronk, past Coos Bay Speedway champion Daniel Land and current Cottage Grove Speedway point leader and past champion Andrew Langan.

Drivers came from all over Oregon to make this an exciting show from start to finish. After picking up wins in both his heat race and the six lap Scramble, Yankee may have been the driver to beat going into the Main Event. Langan, however, had other ideas. The Langan family has been competing at Cottage Grove Speedway and other venues for many years, and Andrew brought his A game for the Main Event.

With 50 laps of racing to do, there was plenty of time for a racer to make their move. However, it was Langan leading every lap for the $1,000 victory. Lest you think it was easy for him, he had his hands full with heat race winners Shannon Horn and Brian Cronk running closely behind in second and third. Cronk was wheeling the car of past Willamette Speedway champion Jody Tanner as his own racer wasn't quite ready.

Throughout the pack, the fans were treated to some close racing. Street Stock racing isn't something you get to see very often at Southern Oregon Speedway, and these drivers definitely entertained. Langan was just a little bit quicker to the checkered flag, though Horn was a close $500 second. Cronk grabbed the final position on the podium as Schott and Land made up the remainder of the Top 5.

Josh Heller ran in the Top 5 for a while before falling back to sixth. Making up the balance of the Top 10 at the finish was long time Sunset Speedway competitor Bob "Smitty" Smith, Yankee, Joey Tardio and Doug Scott. The tour is off to Madras Speedway to do a little head-to-head racing with the track's Sportsman class, but they are looking forward to the opportunity to come back for their third visit to Southern Oregon Speedway next year.

The Late Model division seems to be a bit more equal this year than it was last year. One driver who's been in the hunt for the wins in both races is reigning champion Nathan Augustine. Augustine got a little bit of a reminder that it won't be so easy this year when he was passed by Dave Foote, who ended up winning their heat race. Augustine also got second in the Trophy Dash.

The man winning the Trophy Dash as well as the first heat race was John Dees. Dees has been noticeably faster this season after two events. It looked like he was still figuring out the handle on his car in the opener when he led six laps before doing a solo spin. However, he charged his way back up to make a late pass on Mike Linder for third. This time out, Dees ran with Augustine throughout the Main Event.

What was interesting was watching John make attempts to get around on the outside. The car seemed hooked up out there, but he couldn't quite make the move. Augustine can be a difficult driver to get by when his car is running strong, and that was certainly the case on Saturday night. Nathan took the win with John Dees earning a career-best second.

When the Late Model division got rebooted at Southern Oregon Speedway in 2016, it was long time Medford area competitors Mike Linder and Bob Dees who answered the call. On Saturday night, the two veterans had a good battle going for third in the Main Event. Dees was rebounding from mechanical issues dropping him out of a Top 5 run at the season opener. However, Linder had a few tricks up his sleeve and kept Bob at bay to grab the third place finish at the checkered flag. Both drivers get to run the Trophy Dash the next time the Late Models are on the card as part of the 6th Annual Roger Haudenshild Tribite on June 2nd.

In the weeks leading up to the season opener, there were some inquiries from Pro Stock drivers about the possibility of running with the Late Models this season. Management had an opportunity to get a look at a couple of Pro Stocks competing with the Late Models on short notice this last week. This was allowed in the interest of getting some data to assess the situation.

One of the drivers was Roy Bain, but his race ended with a flat tire on the opening lap. The other driver was last season's Pro Stock champion, Dr. Scott Lenz. What was interesting was Lenz found himself in a battle with season opener winner Miles Deubert for the fifth position. Deubert held the spot for a while, but Lenz made his move and finished fifth.

Deubert still had decent points in sixth, and the battle at the top of the standings is close between he and leader Augustine, John Dees and Linder. It's certainly early in the season, but you don't want to lose ground to the others with a bad night.

The other encouraging sign is that there are other cars in the works for the Late Models. Longtime Southern Oregon Speedway competitor John DeBenedetti made an appearance in the Tom Parry Late Model. Unfortunately, they discovered a crack in the frame earlier in the evening and were forced to scratch from the Main Event. They will return to fight another day. There are rumors abounding of a Pro Stock champion coming out in a Late Model sometime this season, and we're still following this story. Certainly, it's drivers like rookie Eric Massey, Garrett Dees and Don Garrett Jr who are helping make this thing happen this year.

The Mini Stock division is in a bit of a rut. A few drivers are down for the count, and it's showing in the car count department. The heat race crash that happened two weeks ago between Cameron Hall and Steve Goetz didn't just put the #007 car out of commission. It left Goetz with severe front-end damage to his car. Andrew Hall reported that he would like to find another Pinto Wagon to replace the old car, but he's looking for a car to get Cameron Hall back out at the track as soon as possible.

2014 champion Gary Anderson is still missing after blowing a motor in the season opener, and rookie Tim Hedges has been making repairs to his car in the hopes of having a better night the next time he's out there. There are more cars to be seen in future Mini Stock events this season.

The story of the Mini Stock season so far has been how fast David Steele has looked. David gave no indication of slowing down when he opened the night with a Trophy Dash win and followed it up with a victory in his heat race. Hunter Magnan continues his strong start as he finished second in both of those races. With problems to take care of in his #89 car, reigning champion Kristopher Mix didn't start the preliminaries. This put him last on the grid in the Main Event.

We've been asking when Mix would get his first win, and the answer was Saturday night. Mix surprised Steele by making the pass and taking the lead. Steele then had his hands full with Magnan in a good battle for second. It looked like there might have been something wrong with the #67 car, but Steele made another rally to attempt to pass on Mix late in the race. However, Mix was up to that challenge and scored his first career win. Though the field was low on cars, this team had to work hard making sure their car was just right, and there was plenty of deserved satisfaction for this victory.

Steele continued to add to his point lead as he finished second, and the third place finish earned by Magnan means that he's still very much in this championship battle. In fact, he's currently second in a close race with Mix. Michael McLeod is making an early claim on top rookie honors this year and continues to get better with each turn behind the wheel. Garrett Fredrickson also managed to bring his car home to a checkered flag that will put him in the next Trophy Dash as he finished fourth.

There is also some concern over the slow start for the Valley Stor-All Late Model Lites. A few drivers anticipated for this season have yet to show. As Dusty Aos still doesn't have his car ready, he's been wheeling the #99 car that Bill Spencer drove last season. We've heard that Greg Arnold's old car will turn up with a new driver this year, and we've also heard that 2014 champion John Barger will be seen this season. Danny Prewitt had enough damage on his #29 car that it isn't ready, and 2016 champion Lee Doty's car was up in Portland getting repaired.

When the Valley Stor-All Late Model Lites show up on June 16th, it's anticipated that there will be at least a couple new cars in the field that we haven't seen this year. The four who have been showing up have been battling hard on the race track. Some have said that Charlie Eaton was due to have a big season. At the season opener, motor problems in preliminaries made it look like he might not even get through the night. He salvaged things pretty well with a late pass on Dusty Aos to gain second in that race, which was won by Eric Aos. Unfortunately for Eric, mechanical issues early in the most recent Main Event ended that race early for him.

Meanwhile, Eaton was on fire. After winning the Trophy Dash and the heat race, he took the lead from Greg Arnold midway through the race and proceeded to hold him off for the victory. Arnold settled for second ahead of Dusty Aos.

The Southern Oregon Dwarf Car Association got to make their first appearance of the season at their home track. They were scheduled to run a few weeks earlier before rain came. They were also scheduled to run for $1,000 to win that night courtesy of Jim Nelson, who is known for putting up money once or twice a year for the drivers of his favorite division. That money was still good, and it brought an 18 car field on Saturday night.

After picking up a big win at Cottage Grove Speedway in a shootout race that brought together the three Dwarf Car groups of Oregon, Kalvin Morton had his eyes on another big prize. It certainly looked like he would be difficult to beat when he won both his heat race in the A Dash. Unfortunately, he could not have anticipated the back straightaway crash on the opening lap that ended the race for himself, Fred Hay, Mason Lewman and newcomer Ashleigh Strain. Strain, who has raced for the past several seasons in Outlaw Karts, was making her first Dwarf Car start at Southern Oregon Speedway.

At the front of the pack, Chad Cardoza was looking like a sure winner. Josh King didn't have his car ready for the night, but Jerry Hauck graciously gave him the keys to the #4us car. Hauck watched proudly as King battled it out with Cardoza and Randy Slater in the early goings of the race. Looking the way he did early on, you have to believe that a win is in the future for Slater this year. King made the move around Slater. With four laps to go, he charged past Cardoza and became $1,000 richer as a result.

Cardoza managed to take the checkered in second ahead of Ryan Smith. Cody Peters made a late move around Slater for a fourth place finish. It was a great group of Dwarf Car competitors who put on a show for the fans. Two time reigning champion Brock Peters, who finished second at Cottage Grove the week before, was mired in mid pack for the Main Event. He salvaged a sixth place finish to go with his earlier heat race win as Joe Sanders, Michael Johnson, Mark Neilson and Bill Winter made up the remainder of the Top 10.

One encouraging sign for the Dwarf Cars this year is that several newcomers have joined the field. After his strong second place season in Mini Stocks last year, Michael Johnson is now in the former Anthony Pope Dwarf Car. We also have Mini Stock graduate Andrew Hall, Dan Halbert and Ashleigh Strain on the roster this year.

Tuesday, May 22, 2018

Whoops - It's Chris Sine one of the organizers of the Iron Giant Series (Sorry Chris)

Langan Wins $1,000 First Prize

In Iron Giant Street Stock Race

White City, Oregon...May 19...Andrew Langan scored the $1,000 victory in the 50 lap Disorder On The Southern Border Iron Giant Street Stock Main Event Saturday night at Southern Oregon Speedway. This was the opening event of the eight race, eight track Iron Giant Street Stock Series, and it produced an impressive 21 car field. Langan is the current Cottage Grove Speedway point leader and 2016 champion, and he led the race from start to finish.

The 21 cars were split into three eight lap heat races, and Brian Cronk won the first race ahead of Josh Heller. Jessie Yankee outran Andrew Langan to win the second heat, and Shannon Horn beat Jeff Marson back to the line to win the third heat. They also ran a four lap Scramble, and Yankee picked up the win in that race ahead of Brian Cronk. Sean Cronk threw a bearing in his heat race to end his night. Marson's night ended after his second place heat race performance due to transmission issues and RC Levin had motor issues put a premature end to his evening.

This left 18 starters for the Main Event, and Langan charged out to the early lead ahead of previous Southern Oregon Speedway winner Donald Schott and Smitty Smith. David Cronk pitted on the first lap and came out in front of the leaders on lap four as Shannon Horn raced into the third position. Tom Zurita spun in Turn 2 for a lap eight caution flag. Langan continued to set the pace as Horn took second from Schott on the restart. Yankee and Brian Cronk were battling closely behind Schott for the fourth position. After a lap 19 yellow flag, Brian Cronk slipped past Schott for the third position and began to pressure Horn for second. It was a good race up front with some good battles throughout the pack as Langan led Horn, Brian Cronk, Schott and Heller at the halfway point of the race. Yankee took fifth from Heller on lap 27, and spins by Erik Jarnport and Zurita brought out caution flags on lap 30 and 33. Langan was still leading Horn, Brian Cronk, Schott and Yankee at that point. Daniel Land made a charge past Yankee for fifth on lap 41. Langan drove a flawless race and earned the big $1,000 victory. Horn brought it home for a $500 second. Brian Cronk settled for third, followed by Schott, Land, Heller, Smith, Yankee, Joey Tardio and Doug Scott.

White City, Oregon...May 19...Taking the lead from Chad Cardoza with just four laps remaining, Josh King picked up a $1,000 victory in the Southern Oregon Dwarf Car Main Event Saturday night at Southern Oregon Speedway. Thanks to the sponsorship of Jim Nelson, the win paid $1,000 to King, who was driving the Jerry Hauck car. Cardoza settled for second.

Coming off of an impressive victory at Cottage Grove a week earlier, Kalvin Morton picked up wins in his six lap heat race and the six lap A Dash. Ryan Smith won his heat race, while Brock Peters battled Fred Hay to win the third heat. King picked up the win in the B Dash. Mechanical issues prevented Kaycee Sheeler and rookie Andrew Hall from starting the Main Event.

Morton's night ended in disappointment as he was eliminated in a seven car crash on the backstretch on the opening lap. Newcomer Ashleigh Strain, Mason Lewman, Steve Walker and Fred Hay were also done after the crash. Cardoza led the restart ahead of Randy Slater and Cody Peters. A low move in Turn 4 of the third lap gained King the second position from Slater as the lead three cars ran in close formation. Slater surprised King by making an inside pass in Turn 3 to regain second on lap 10, but King made a pass on the front stretch on lap 13 to once again grab second. Moments later, Dan Halbert brought out a lap 14 caution flag. Cardoza led King and Slater on the restart. A high pass in Turn 4 of the 17th lap gained King the lead. King went on to score the impressive victory ahead of Cardoza. Slater faded slightly at the finish as he lost third to a Turn 4 pass by Ryan Smith on lap 19 and was passed on the inside in Turn 4 on the final lap by Cody Peters for fourth. Slater settled for fifth, followed by Brock Peters, Joe Sanders, Michael Johnson, Mark Neilson and Bill Winter.

The Dwarf Cars return for the Open Wheel Showcase race this Saturday night, along with the Northwest Focus Midgets, Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Cars and OTRO Hardtops. For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com.

White City, Oregon...May 19...Nathan Augustine earned the victory in the 20 lap Late Model Main Event Saturday night at Southern Oregon Speedway. Augustine was coming off of a second place finish at the season opener behind the surprising Miles Deubert. He is the reigning champion, and this win also prevented a clean sweep for John Dees.

John Dees opened the night with a four lap Trophy Dash victory ahead of Augustine and held off his father, Bob Dees, to win their six lap heat race. Dave Foote outran Augustine to win the other heat race. Pro Stock champion Scott Lenz and Roy Bain joined the field with the right rear tire allowed by the rules as management was gathering information for future use in the division.

The race had to be restarted after Foote and Don Garrett Jr brought out the yellow flag in Turn 2. Augustine led John Dees and Mike Linder on the restart. Dees was making a strong move on the outside, but Augustine ran just a bit stronger on the inside. A lap seven yellow flag flew and Garrett retired at that point. Foote spun for a yellow flag on lap eight, and Augustine led John Dees and Linder on the restart. There were several good battles for position as Augustine raced with John Dees, Linder battled Bob Dees and Lenz had a good race going with fellow Pro Stock alumnus Deubert. Though Dees seemed to have his car hooked up on the outside, he was unable to make a winning move around Augustine. Augustine was the happy winner ahead of John Dees, Linder, Bob Dees, Lenz, Deubert, Eric Massey, Dave Foote, Garrett Dees and Garrett.

The Late Models will return as part of the big 6th Annual Roger Haudenshild Tribute Race on June 2nd. The event will feature IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds and Calculated Comfort Outlaw Pro Stocks, along with Late Models, Southern Oregon Dwarf Cars and JOAT Labs Hornets. For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com.

White City, Oregon...May 19...Kristopher Mix won a good battle with David Steele to capture his first career 15 lap Mini Stock Main Event victory. Mix is the reigning champion, and after gaining the lead with a surprising pass on Steele, he held him off to snap a five race win streak for Steele.

The night started off with Steele collecting victories in the six lap heat race and four lap Trophy Dash. Mix missed the heat race making repairs for the Main Event, but the repairs seemed to do the trick.

Steele led the opening lap ahead of Hunter Magnan and Mix. Mix took second from Magnan on a lap two restart, but the lead three cars ran in close formation. An inside pass in Turn 2 of the fourth lap put Mix into the lead. Magnan was pressuring Steele for second when Michael McLeod spun in Turn 2 for a lap nine caution flag. Mix continued to lead Steele and Magnan on the restart. Steele made a strong move in his bid regain the lead with two laps to go, but Mix kept his cool and remained in front. Mix picked up the win ahead of Steele, Magnan, Garrett Fredrikson and McLeod.

Mini Stocks are off for a few weeks, but they will return to action on June 16th. This will give the competitors enough time to make repairs. For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com.

White City, Oregon...May 19...Charlie Eaton scored a clean sweep in the Valley Stor-All Late Model Lites division at Southern Oregon Speedway. It was capped off by his victory in the 15 lap Main Event.

After winning the four lap Trophy Dash ahead of previous winner Eric Aos and the six lap heat race in front of Greg Arnold, Eaton followed Arnold in the early goings of the Main Event. Eric Aos stalled on the back stretch for the only caution flag on lap 2. Arnold continued to lead Eaton and Dusty Aos on the restart. An inside pass in Turn 2 of the seventh lap moved Eaton into the lead. Once he got there, Eaton was not about to let it go as he sped to the victory ahead of Arnold and Dusty Aos.

White City, Oregon...May 18-19...Phil Pfau won the KT100 Clash Friday night at Little Southern Oregon Speedway. The special two-day event was sponsored by Speed City of Medford, and the KT100 portion paid $1,000 to the winner. By virtue of his win and second place performances in his two heat races, Pfau had the pole for the KT100 20 lap Main Event and charged out to the lead at the drop of the green flag. Heat race winner Steve Rambo settled into second ahead of Daniel Kravitz. The lead three competitors remained in that order for the entire distance of the rapidly run event. Jeremy Brown settled for fourth ahead of Brent Meyer. Brown made a last turn pass to steal the four lap Bragging Rights Dash victory away from Rambo.

Mike Wheeler picked up the $600 first prize by winning the 20 lap 500 Open Main Event. $500 of the first prize money was sponsored by Dick's Towing. Wheeler also won the first of two ten lap heat races, but he settled for second in the other heat behind 2016 champion Johnny Burke. Burke appeared to be headed for a Bragging Rights Dash victory, but mechanical issues ended his night after the four lap race. Colby Bergquist threw a wheel in Turn 3 in the first heat and hit the Turn 1 wall and rolled in the second heat, ending his night. In the Main Event, Wheeler raced into the lead at the drop of the green flag ahead of Dillen Lausen and Sunday afternoon arrival Merissa Henson. Boardman took third from Henson on lap four and grabbed the second position from Lausen on a lap eight restart. However, Wheeler had a big lead and took it to the checkered flag ahead of Boardman, Lausen and Henson.

Reigning 250 Kart champion Trevor Grimes battled Bodee Weiser to score the 20 lap Main Event victory. Throughout Friday evening, it appeared as if 2016 champion Bodee Weiser might be the driver to beat. Weiser won both of his eight lap heat races as well as holding off his brother Braden Weiser to win the four lap Bragging Rights Dash. Braden Weiser and Grimes were the other heat race winners. Bodee Weiser led Grimes at the drop of the green flag, and Morgan Berry brought out a lap two caution flag. Bodee Weiser continued to lead Grimes and Braden Weiser on restart. 250 Kart rookie Taylor Fuller pitted on lap five. Brionna Fuller pitted a lap later, but a yellow flag saved her from losing a lap. Bodee Weiser continued to lead Grimes and Braden Weiser on the restart as Vinny DeBenedetti was running fourth. The leaders quickly came up on a slower kart. As they went through Turn 4, Bodee Weiser went high, but the slower kart went high as well. Grimes ducked underneath and took the lead. Morgan Berry brought out another caution flag on lap 14 and retired from the race. Grimes led Bodee Weiser and Braden Weiser on the restart. The leaders caught a slower kart on lap 18, but Grimes made the right move to get by and took it to the checkered flag. Bodee Weiser settled for second, followed by Braden Weiser, Brionna Fuller, DeBenedetti, Kloey Smith, Drew Berry, Morgan Berry and Taylor Fuller.

Taylor Fuller won his his first 20 lap Box Stock Main Event at Little Southern Oregon Speedway. Fuller has won several races at Yreka, where he won last season's championship. Making his move up from the Beginners Box Stock division, Jacob James won the first eight lap heat race ahead of Ryan Hirschbock, who also finished second to Fuller in the other heat race. Fuller had to be talked into running the four lap Bragging Rights Dash, but last lap passes around Hirschbock and then leader Keaton Augustine in the final turn earned Fuller an impressive victory. James raced out to the lead at the start ahead of Fuller and Hirschbock. The lead three karts ran in close formation at the front of the pack, and Fuller was trying to find a way past James. A low move in Turn 3 of the 11th lap finally put Fuller into the lead, and 2016 Beginners Box Stock champion Kiley Grimes spun for the only caution flag of the race. Fuller led Hirschbock on the restart, and they ran 1-2 to the checkered flag. Augustine was a solid third ahead of James, Grimes and Sunday arrival Keegan Bounds.

Chayce Smith turned in a dominant performance in winning the 20 lap Beginners Box Stock Main Event. Smith won both of his eight lap heat races on Friday night and also claimed the victory in the four lap Bragging Rights Dash. Uriah Sanders and Jayme DeBenedetti were the other heat race winners. Smith charged into the lead at the drop of the green flag ahead of Shailene Horn. Bhaltair Edwards spun for a lap two caution flag and spun again a lap later for another caution flag before pitting. Smith continued to lead Horn and reigning champion Malachi Johnson on the restart. Isaac Grimes retired on lap 9, and Hunter Granger spun in Turn 2 for a lap 10 caution flag. Smith continued to hold command on the restart with Horn doing a fine job in running second. Johnson and Mike Wheeler Jr had a good battle going for third. Smith stretched his lead to a straightaway by the waving of the checkered flag. Horn was a solid second head of Johnson and final lead lap finisher Wheeler. Carson Henson finished fifth, followed by Sanders, DeBenedetti, Granger, Grimes and Edwards.

Some of the KT100 competitors also brought UAS Speedway Karts to compete in the full program offered on Saturday afternoon. Daniel Kravitz won both eight lap heat races, chased by Jeremy Brown in the first heat and Trey Hornbrook in the second. Larry Fuller was running strong in the heats, but mechanical issues ended his afternoon early in the Main Event. Brown raced into the early lead ahead of Kravitz and Hornbrook. Ed Grubb joined Fuller in the pits early on as Steve Rambo took third from Hornbrook on lap two. Kravitz spun on lap five to put Rambo into second, but he regained the position when Rambo had an infield excursion off of Turn 2. The final yellow flag waved when Kravitz spun from second on lap 13. Brown led the restart and led the remaining laps for the victory. Kravitz moved back around Rambo before the checkered flag flew to claim second. Rambo settled for third.

Only two 206s showed to race on Friday. The six lap heat races were won by Steve Rambo and Lori Fuller, and Rambo won the Main Event ahead of Fuller.

Little Southern Oregon Speedway will have a full program of Kart racing on June 8th. The 500 Open Karts, 250s, Box Stocks, Beginners Box Stocks and UAS Speedway Karts will be racing. For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com.